USL2: Oly Town FC finally beats Ballard FC in 3-2 classic

A late goal-winner? Check. A red card? Check. A match-winning save? Check. Beating a team who once had a perfect record in this season? Check. Are you not entertained?

The Oly Town Artesians handed Northwest Division leaders Ballard FC their first loss last Friday, June 23 in a dramatic 3-2 victory at Interbay Stadium in a thriller of a match that has everything from start to finish, all while strengthening their bid for playoff glory in the ongoing USL2 season.

It was actually two goalkeepers that decided the match for Oly Town. Down to 10 men in the second half while the scores were at two goals apiece, reserve goalkeeper Dante Perez was subbed in as a striker in the 89^th minute, with Head Coach Liviu Bird implementing the same strategy from the Lane United game where Perez scored deep into stoppage time.

It only took less than a minute for this change to work in favor of the Artesians, as a counterattack initiated by captain Jack Sluys deflecting a cross turned to substitute Habib Famuditimi receiving the ball in the opposite box, while he beat his man, rounds the goalkeeper, and gives it easily to Perez waiting for the tap in the middle to give the lead to Oly Town as the match approached stoppage time.

With at least four minutes of stoppage time to play, all Oly Town needed to do was to hold onto the defense, possibly park the bus, and not concede like in the Lane United game. The last huge chance came in the 97^th as Oly Town goalkeeper Charlie Lanphier made himself go big to produce a reflex double save from successive chances from Jeremy Opong and Charles Gaffney to seal the win for Oly Town until the final whistle was blown.

This win has finally put a dot on the Artesians’ losing streak against the league leaders, who have battered Oly Town 4-0 and 5-0 in the earlier fixtures this season. Despite this, Oly Town still sits third in the division standings, just below Capital FC on the playoff spot, which led the Artesians in goal difference.

It was a dream start for Oly Town FC, as it got a quick goal just 40 seconds after the kickoff after a long ball from the Artesians’ backline caught the Ballard defense sleeping and let fly a pacing Gil de la Luz in the right flank who finds Richy Lapointe-Guevara in the middle waiting for the easy finish, 1-0 to the Artesians in less than a minute into the match.

Ballard tried to make it even right after that goal as they tried to outmaneuver the midfield just like the past fixtures, but the goalkeeper Lanphier made easy work as the finishing was just too easy to handle.

With Oly Town in the backfoot just trying to maintain the lead, they were given a 35-yard free kick in the 27^th. Connor Tollan delivers the set piece opportunity to the penalty area then the Ballard defense clears it, but it lands to Gil de la Luz who, after finding some space in the box, drills th

e left-footed shot past the goalkeeper to give Oly Town a two-goal advantage against the undefeated Ballard in less than half an hour. Unreal.

With two goals up, Oly Town took advantage of a somewhat disheveled Ballard FC as they roughened up the defense with hard tackles and great organization of the backline and heroics from the goalkeeper, but in return gave silly yellow cards and set pieces in dangerous positions.

It did not take too long for Oly Town’s dreamland situation back into reality as Ballard was given a penalty after Jack Sluys dragged Ballard’s Leo Burney in the box. The penalty was then converted in the 33^rd by Peter Kingston, to which unfortunately, the goalkeeper dived to the right side but just couldn’t keep the ball out of goal.Still with the lead, Oly

Town tried to rely on their defense, but a big setback happened before halftime ended as Federico Russo, one of the most trusted in the Oly Town defense was sent off after receiving a second yellow card on a rash challenge, leaving the Artesians down to ten men. Despite this, Lanphier saved the corresponding direct free kick and Oly Town FC held on to lead at halftime at 2-1.

Despite being down by one personnel, Oly Town was fearless as they went to the second half in full confidence that this team was on their level, relying on their gargantuan but now safer defense as they pushed the ball away from their box on every opportunity while timing their tackles right to win the ball against this Ballard side, which was still on the momentum after that one goal back.

Ballard finally got one from the locked-in Artesian defense as a wide-open Taketa Onedra in the wide right delivers a cross and was hit by a Jeremy Opong header in the 56^th minute that beat the near post as Ballard FC made it a tie game from two goals down.

With an open-ended game, Oly Town’s strategy was to gamble on their defensive advantages as they put up a wall by virtually all bodies on their half for the rest of the second period to stifle every other Ballard attempt and produced spectacular saves from Lanphier while they waited on every available counterattacking opportunity, however scarce, to rattle the Ballard defense.

Little did they know what was cooking in that crazy stoppage time.

Oly Town would go back home at the South Sound Stadium on July 2^nd to face Capital FC Atletico in an anticipated battle for the playoff spot in the Northwest Division. Before that, they will face Lane United FC away at Civic Park on June 25^th.